[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 9, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 13524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04863]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[B-16-2021]


Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 185--Culpeper, Virginia; Notification of 
Proposed Production Activity; Merck & Co., Inc. (Pharmaceutical 
Products); Elkton, Virginia

    Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck), submitted a notification of proposed 
production activity to the FTZ Board for its facility in Elkton 
Virginia. The notification conforming to the requirements of the 
regulations of the FTZ Board (15 CFR 400.22) was received on March 2, 
2021.
    Merck already has authority to produce pharmaceutical products 
within Subzone 185C. The current request would a add finished product 
and foreign status materials to the scope of authority. Pursuant to 15 
CFR 400.14(b), additional FTZ authority would be limited to the 
specific foreign-status materials and specific finished product 
described in the submitted notification (as described below) and 
subsequently authorized by the FTZ Board.
    Production under FTZ procedures could exempt Merck from customs 
duty payments on the foreign-status materials used in export 
production. On its domestic sales, for the foreign-status materials/
components noted below and in the existing scope of authority, Merck 
would be able to choose the duty rates during customs entry procedures 
that applies to PRIMAXIN/TIENAM (imipenem/cilastatin) (duty-free). 
Merck would be able to avoid duty on foreign-status components which 
become scrap/waste. Customs duties also could possibly be deferred or 
reduced on foreign-status production equipment.
    The materials sourced from abroad are BIS (2, 4-Dichlorophenyl) 
Chlorophosphate and Enol Phosphate (duty rate 6.5%). The request 
indicates that the materials are subject to duties under Section 301 of 
the Trade Act of 1974 (Section 301), depending on the country of 
origin. The applicable Section 301 decisions require subject 
merchandise to be admitted to FTZs in privileged foreign status (19 CFR 
146.41).
    Public comment is invited from interested parties. Submissions 
shall be addressed to the Board's Executive Secretary and sent to: 
[email protected]. The closing period for their receipt is April 19, 2021.
    A copy of the notification will be available for public inspection 
in the ``Reading Room'' section of the Board's website, which is 
accessible via www.trade.gov/ftz.
    For further information, contact Christopher Wedderburn at 
[email protected].

    Dated: March 4, 2021.
Andrew McGilvray,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-04863 Filed 3-8-21; 8:45 am]
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